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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25571698">hello, my star (yes, i'm coming to see you!)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/nanakomatsus'>nanakomatsus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NU'EST</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Beauxbatons, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Magical Realism, Resurrection, screams this is going to be long and slightly painful</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:35:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25571698</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/nanakomatsus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>in which minhyun inadvertently brings minki back from the dead.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Minki | Ren/Hwang Minhyun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hello, my star (yes, i'm coming to see you!)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i've been working on this for almost a year and it's not even done yet but it will be. posting this as motivation. please motivate me. i've been screaming and dreaming about a minren boarding school au for such a long time gosh. also beauxbatons au but combine it and you get f e e l s</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>He just stood there, head tilted to the sky, eyes closed, a serene expression on his face as water from one of the cupids’ jars streamed down on him, white shirt and linen pants completely drenched. His hair and skin are the same colour as the greek marble structure, the same colour as it was the last time Minhyun had seen him. And more importantly, he was breathing; drawing slow, steady breaths as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Minki was glowing - shining, in fact. And then, he smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun will never forget the way his skin burned from the blazing sun that shone from above as he stood across the stone courtyard, staring at the boy who’d appeared before him in Flamel’s fountain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been the hottest day of that summer, and the last.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waits among the peony bushes, keeping an eye out for a specific carriage among the stream flowing out the West gate. Restlessly, he checks over his shoulder for any teachers on the lookout. Not that he should be worried because they’re mostly in the main hall entertaining parents and Ministry officials alike but, better safe than sorry-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There it is,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thinks to himself upon spotting a particularly opulent-looking carriage; its body made of lacquered ebony wood, decorated with oriental-style golden trimmings, looking for all the world like a black hole swallowing rays of sun. Pulling it is a fearsome serpent-horse crossbreed, its scaly body glowing an eerie emerald under the dreary, late afternoon sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sucking in a sharp breath, he makes his move and jumps out onto the cobbled driveway, just as the carriage passes by with a low rumble. Holding on for dear life with one arm, he brings the other up to knock on the tinted window, gritting his teeth painfully hard with effort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a harrowing few moments that seem more like aeons, Zhou Jieqiong’s sharp, elfish eyes are staring at him rather disinterestedly as the glass winds down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Might I ask what you are doing, clinging to my ride like some disgusting insect, Hwang Minhyun? Do you want to die?” Her melodic voice drips with poison as she continues studying him in mild amusement with those unnerving, doey eyes, as if watching him hold on to the side of her carriage for dear life is the best form of entertainment an heiress could ask for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun tries for a smile, but the feeling of his muscles tearing as he tries not to fly off while they speed down a hill makes it a bit hard. So he just hopes his classmate gets the message as he looks at her pleadingly. Sure enough, with a small click, the door flies open, very nearly sending Minhyun off the edge and down into the raveen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a relieved sigh, he dumps himself rather unceremoniously in the seat opposite her, croaking out a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanks</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re passing by Ariege, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyulkyung nods slightly as she eyes him suspiciously, offering him a soda from the small refrigerator tucked in the corner. Minhyun raises his eyebrows, impressed, and vaguely points at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Coexistence’, huh,” he says, quoting their Social Studies professor, who had certain eccentricities towards the non-magiques. Kyulkyung stares at him flatly, waiting for him to accept the drink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you not going home for the summer?” She asks him, obviously just trying to be polite, the discomfort on her face too obvious to mask, not that she would bother to do so in the first place. Minhyun brightens nonetheless, grateful for the conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I figured I’d spend what little time there is left in school,” he says earnestly. Kyulkyung fixes him a weird look and looks away, shaking her head, incredulous, resting her chin on her hand and looking out the window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you like that place so much,” she says quietly, not looking at him. Minhyun shrugs, taking a swig of blackberry goodness, wincing at the overtly sour taste that attacks his senses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not so bad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hums in response and doesn't say anything else. Minhyun keeps his eyes on the road, smiling absently to himself. For the next half an hour or so as they descend the Pyrenees, he attempts to make small talk though Jieqiong doesn’t seem too keen on being nice today. So after a while, he trails off, letting the conversation drift away as he keeps his eye on the road, watching the Aston river snake through the greenery down below.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop here!” He’d cries out suddenly. They’re at the foot of the mountains now, close to where the Aston meets the Ariege, rumbling through some quiet, sparse neighbourhood but not quite having reached the town yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyulkyung’s eyes bulge as they screech to a halt by a giant pine that stands to the side of the road, its branches looming over the street, casting ominous finger-like shadows. Upon closer inspection, it seems to slightly block an old, off-road path. Minhyun quickly ups and hops out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going? We’re not even there yet!” The raven-haired girl calls out the window. Minhyun waves her off with a bright smile and a muffled </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanks for the ride!</span>
  </em>
  <span> as the carriage pulls away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you in school!” And waits until the fancy moving black hole disappears out of sight before turning into the dirt path and setting off through the woods on foot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He finds himself at Gudanes by sunset. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chateau is the same, rotting carcass as it always has been. More plants had grown around over the past few months. The balcony was but a bush of irises, the lawn overgrown with weeds and yellow lilies and the walls apparently built by moss and ferns. It was a charmingly haunting structure. Haunting is the keyword. Minhyun observes it with fondness nevertheless, while finally taking a rest on a lumpy discarded couch in the backyard, by the teeth of the woods where he trudged in from. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he regains his breath, his ears pick up the sound of the river rushing just beyond the line of trees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching into his knapsack, he first procures his camera, taking two shots; one, of the chateau bathed in orange light and another, of the sun setting between two peaks, just beyond the forest. Then, with a substantial amount of difficulty, he begins pulling out firewood by the bunch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, with a flick of his wrist, he’s got a fire started. Flopping down onto the couch, he finally pulls out dinner; leftover duck casserole and onion soup from the summer luncheon earlier that day. As he heats his food over the hearth, Minhyun begins to watch the flames; the way they crackle and writhe, the blur of yellow, orange and at times, red, the glowing embers beneath-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His slurps resound throughout the compound, bouncing off the stone walls of the abandoned building. He takes his time, letting his food settle while plugging in his walkman, bossa nova tunes on full volume.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun tilts his head to the sky. It is an especially clear night, the moon tinted a slight bluish hue, shining bright as a streetlamp surrounded by twinkling stars, like helicopters. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Perfect,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thinks to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It is a while later when he finally decides it’s time to go up. Grabbing his knapsack, he heads into the chateau. It’s worse inside; most of the floorboards have been ripped off, revealing earth and the moss-covered concrete foundation beneath, debris lies everywhere; bits of collapsed ceiling and wall, the stairs half caved in. Unperturbed, he steps lightly on the more solid parts and floats over the missing ones until he finally reaches the top floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There, a slimy green metal ladder stands strong, leading up to the roof. Bracing himself, Minhyun begins the daunting climb up. He’d always hated doing it and often opted for a little bit of magic for a boost but not tonight. For old times’ sake.</span>
  <em>
    <span> After all, it’s the climb that’s the most fun,</span>
  </em>
  <span> says a familiar voice in the back of his mind that isn’t his. With a grunt, he shakes his head, intent on ignoring it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cool summer breeze greets him as his head pokes out of the opening. It smells of pine and earth. It’s comforting. He stands, arms open, as if greeting the sleeping giants that make up the Pyrenees mountain range, before dropping them to his side with a loud exhale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, he gets to work setting up; bundles of hand-woven blankets his sister’s been sending him ever since he started at Beaxubatons, some snacks, a plate of fruits and finally- a great big bottle of Sauternes wine, honey-like and glowing, mixed with a bit of firewhisky along with two glasses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Making himself comfortable on his makeshift bed, he sits with his knees folded and places the plate of fruits in front of him before setting down the two glasses at either side. He fills both of them to the brim, listening to the way the liquid bubbles, filling the air around him with an intoxicatingly sweet scent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, he gently takes out a necklace, and weighs it in his palm for a moment, closing his eyes, steadying his heartbeat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a simple thing with a plain, thin silver chain and a compass for a locket. The old thing doesn’t work anymore, its needle stuck pointing northwest. Minhyun smiles at it sadly and places it by the candle. He then reaches round his neck and unclasps an identical necklace, this one in gold, its needle pointed southwest and places it beside the other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, this is all I can do for you,” he says to no one, taking a sip of his drink, setting his throat on fire. He finishes in a gulp and moves to pour one more. And another after. His throat’s getting a little dry. He eyes the plate before him. With a dry chuckle, he turns to the sky once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t mind, do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sourness of the green apple satiates him for now, fizzling in his mouth as it mixes with the Sauternes-firewhisky he gulps down a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fourth?</span>
  </em>
  <span> fifth time. His vision begins to blur and no, it doesn’t seem to be the alcohol because his mind’s clear as day-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears wet Minhyun’s cheeks. His eyes sting. He hadn’t realised he’d been crying so much. His hand drops, the remaining drink left in the glass darkening the moss-covered tiles. He falls onto his back, arm slung over his eyes as he silently sobs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When are you coming back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He falls asleep like that and wakes just before dawn the next morning. He clears up, pouring the last of the alcohol onto the fruits and into the wind. He weighs the two necklaces in his hands, fighting an internal war, and decides to leave the one that isn’t his behind, along with the plate of fruits and the two shot glasses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without looking back at the pitiful offering, he shoulders his knapsack and hops off the roof, drifting down to gather his other things in the backyard, not trusting himself enough to take the mossy ladder down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hwang Minhyun had had the luck of bumping into Choi Minki at the tender age of eleven during their first semester at Beauxbatons quite literally as they’d run into each other while playing hide and seek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Minhyun who’d ended up in the fountain back then. Minki had stood over him with those doey eyes. Kind, sweet Minki who then helped him out of the fountain and apologized. But with little success in hiding his laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He just flew in!” The then-chestnut haired boy explained animatedly to the nurse as she patched Minhyun’s knees up. She paid them little attention but indulged in the boy’s chatter anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so,” she commented dryly, wrapping a bandage around the affected area, now clean and white with little slits of red in between. Minhyun winced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because he’s a twig with a big head,” Minki continued smugly. The other shot him a glare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Am not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are too-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a twig-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Prove it, then. I challenge you to a duel!” Minki’d jumped out of his seat, pointing straight between Minhyun’s eyes with an accusing finger. Minhyun’s ears had flared red then. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two don’t even know how to hold a wand yet. Wait a few years more. You can duel everyday if you want to then, for all I care. Just don’t come back to my office,” the nurse said, rather calmly, without much emotion, obviously tired of their antics. So the two boys just continued their battle in silence by making faces at each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, they were to find out that they’d ended up roommates. And so they duelled every morning, noon and night to their hearts’ content. They raced on their brooms through the cream-white corridors, chased each other down the wooden banisters of the library steps and fought over the best cuts of meat in the powder-blue dining hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’d continued for years since then. Until one day, a few years later, it didn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I take it you weren’t involved in the fire festival this year,” Aron says as a conversation starter, ever the blunt one. Minhyun hums absently, twirling his finger round the phone chord. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smartphones aren’t allowed in school, but every dorm’s got a landline so they make do, though it has become a topic of debate over the past couple of years with more and more students lobbying for the ban to be lifted. But Minhyun doesn’t mind so much, because Sujin works just a couple towns over and visits sometimes and mother calls him every other day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dongho says the first year is always the hardest,” the elder continues, almost unfeelingly. Minhyun almost laughs, but he stifles it, not wanting to rattle his still-recovering-from-a-hangover brain too much. Instead, he smiles wryly to himself, twirling twirling twirling his finger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I got that,” he says quietly. At the other end of the line Aron sighs, a sign that he’s almost done tormenting his precious junior but, not quite yet-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should write to Jonghyun. He’s better at this than I am,” he says, chuckling bitterly. Minhyun scoffs. “I definitely will. Right after this. Even then, I’d have to wait about a week for an owl to arrive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aron guffaws, and Minhyun can almost imagine him throwing his head back. “At least you’d get a reply,” he replies swiftly, and Minhyun knows what he’s getting at, the silent jab at Durmstrang’s strict communication policies. Who knows what goes on in there, even in the summer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From there, the conversation strays finally; to Aron’s diplomatic duties, to wizarding world gossip, to quidditch, to everything but the elephant in the room. At the end of their three-hour-long call, Aron reads out a particularly enticing beef stew recipe for Minhyun to try if he ever gets time in the Home Econs room and tells him to drink some pickle juice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stinks up a funk but it’ll set your head straight in no time,” he advises and soon after, ends the call without saying much else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun keeps the receiver at his ear for some time after, almost dozing off to the sound of dial tone ringing in his ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, he sits at his desk, drinking beef stew from a flask as he stares at the blank parchment set before him, quill at the ready. Leaning back into his chair, he looks out the window, to the night sky dotted with millions and billions of galaxies-</span>
</p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Dear Jonghyun,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>How are things on your end? I’m sorry it’s been a while since I last wrote. I haven’t really been up to keeping tabs on anything outside of school. I heard from Aron that you’re caught up in Quidditch League training this summer. I hope your club does well. Can’t wait to see you at the World Cup soon. I’m not going home this summer, by the way. Didn’t go for the fire festival either so unfortunately, I don’t have anything to send you as a solstice gift other than my love in this letter. I’m fine. Just thought you should know, in the likely case that you’ve been worried. The campus is particularly beautiful under the summer sun, is my cover-up for holing up in this blue castle. I’m planning to do some reading, so I would appreciate it if you could recommend some good books to read. Please don’t send me those non-magique drawing volumes this time, though. It’s not really my thing. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. </span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Yours,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Minhyun</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>P.S. I’m suffering from a hangover caused by heartbreak and overall sadness. Aron told me to drink some pickles. Please attach an alternative cure if you can.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun wakes up past lunch the next day, and the day after. When he finally gathers enough energy to shuffle out his room, he heads straight for the library and falls asleep there for three days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He loses track of time for the remaining weeks, the days blurring together. The only way of telling them apart is the ever-changing menu, a secret delicacy Minhyun had only discovered during this time, despite it having been an open secret among the student body for the past few generations. Summer-stay food has always been the best and it’s what keeps him going throughout the weeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jonghyun’s reply comes after three weeks, along with a bag full of candy from Honeydukes.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Dear Minhyun,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>It’s good to hear from you. Sorry for the late reply. We’ve been training in the Alps in order to get better accustomed to high-altitude plays. I’m being drafted into the national team at the end of the season, so you’ll all be getting your free tickets soon enough. Dongho sends his regards and says he’ll call you as soon as he gets back to Bucharest. I’m also going to be Head Boy next year though I’m sure you’re going to say you had seen it coming from a hundred miles away. That’s what Aron said anyway. I’m glad to hear you’re holding up alright. I won’t say anything else regarding the matter. Tell me if you want me to lend an ear. I’m here.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Your friend,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Jonghyun</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>P.S. Attached here is the book recommendation list you asked for, and a complete volume of what is called a ‘comic book’. I know you said not to send those but I insist.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote><p>...</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun decides to take a walk on the last day in order to get away from the buzz of the school reopening, and to just bask in what little calm there is left despite the sweltering heat. He avoids the main building completely right after an early breakfast and heads for the familiar path to the meadow near the greenhouses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spends the whole morning sprawled among a patch of cattails, reading under the shade of a giant mimosa tree, headphones plugged in. He finds himself completely absorbed in the comic book Jonghyun had so persistently asked him to read throughout the summer, about a boy who’d eaten a fallen star. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So enraptured he is by the story and the music in his ears that he doesn’t notice the hours passing by until his stomach begins to growl, just in time for lunch. With a contented sigh, he sets the thick volume down and instead pulls out a small pocket notebook.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparing a few more minutes, he goes through the list of flora he’d compiled to send to Aron and decides that it is more than enough. With a heave, he straightens and rises from his position, beginning his slow stroll back to the main campus grounds, taking little detours to check on the greenhouse and the fish pond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little while later however, he somehow finds himself in the sprawling main garden, thinking in the back of his mind that he may have taken one too many side quests. But he can’t find it in himself to leave. Instead, he crouches down, hugging his knees to his chest, and squats there for a while, staring at a single, blooming yellow lily- one similar to those that fill the front lawn of the chateau Gudanes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His heart tightens.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gets lost in his thoughts for a while, thinking of the coming days and what to eat for lunch and the summer the year before- That’s when his ears twitch upon hearing a splashing from somewhere deeper in the garden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rising from his fecal position, he cautiously makes his way through the wisteria tunnel, through that suffocatingly sweet scent and kaleidoscope of purple, knowing very well that it will take him to where the sound is coming from.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And sure enough at the end of the tunnel, the garden opens up to a vast courtyard wedged between the administrative building and the library. At the center stands the renowned, magnificent Flamel Fountain, its marble deities built as high as the third floor. It depicts the hundreds of magical creatures bound to the land of the Pyrenees and the regions surrounding it, detailing their lores and how intertwined they are within the painstaking craftsmanship chiseled into Greek stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flowing out from canals illustrating rivers and jugs carried by marble cherubs is the infamous Liquid Youth, though students and staff know it to be just some enchanted water good enough only for hydrating dry skin. Still, the light bouncing off the marble, refracting into the liquid, making it sparkle is enough to convince any passerby of its mythical properties. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Minhyun’s eyes are entranced by something else entirely; that of a lone figure standing with its hands cupped together under one of the streams of water, poised above its lips, drinking elegantly. It’s like something out of a Renaissance painting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Minhyun steps forward, his heart begins to race wildly, taking in the figure’s seemingly glowing porcelain skin, blonde hair and eyelashes so bright, they’re almost white. A glittering, silver </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>hangs around its neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His breath gets caught in his throat as all at once, the summer heat catches up to him. It is only the cool water pooling at his ankles that grounds him to reality as he breathes out a single name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minki?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>have to help out every year anyway? Surely the kids from the high school downtown can do it instead,” Minki mutters in dissatisfaction, absently waving his wand, effortlessly transporting the collected bundles of wood into the giant truck with its mouth wide open, already half-full with the raw materials that are to be used for the torches.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minki, we’ve been doing this for five years. You say the same thing every time,” Minhyun replies flatly, fixing him a tired look. From his perch on the lowest branch of a nearby pine tree, Minki huffs, frowning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But here I am,” he mumbles, keeping to his duties, swiping his wand this way and that. Minhyun sighs, relenting a small smile, shaking his head. “Here you are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It is tradition -always has been- for the boys and girls of Beauxbatons to help out with preparations for the annual fire festival that takes place on the eve of the summer solstice. Something about strengthening relations between the wizarding community and the non-magiques. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mostly, they’re tasked with making the heavy-duty things lighter which includes felling trees, collecting wood and gathering other raw materials, all of which aren’t exactly much of a hassle with the help of magic - except that the school insists on making the students take part in the actual festival as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which is exactly what has Minki in a bad mood almost every year. Especially this time around, because the town has decided to change the route, making it an extra three-kilometre climb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?!” The blonde cries out as they eat lunch by the banks of the nearby Ariege river. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That day’s menu is cassoulet, courtesy of Sujin, who’d taken the liberty to have it sent that morning, fresh off the stove. And for dessert, Minki produces a small box of butter cookies, smuggled from one of the bakeries in town involved with the festival via Nayoung, through the back door with an invisibility charm for extra protection.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun eats in silence while drifting between listening and not as Minki rambles on, complaining about how steep the climb will be and how long it will take and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he can’t wait to catch the train home tomorrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he’s finally done, Minki flops onto his back, stretching against the soft grass with a loud groan. Minhyun watches him, smiling absently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Earth to Minhyun,” the blonde drawls, waving a hand to get the brunette’s attention. The boy in question blinks out of his thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minki pouts at him, knitting his eyebrows together. “I can never tell what you’re thinking when you space out like that,” he says, more to himself. Minhyun raises an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not thinking about anything,” he answers anyway. Minki laughs. “I believe you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They go back to their duties a while after, with Minki heading to town to help with food and Minhyun to the main square to set up the bonfire.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It is late in the evening the next time they meet, after being allowed a short rest at the dorms, having settled their duties earlier than expected. They make their way down the hill from school together, a whole crowd of Beauxbatons students, dressed in casual attire- one of the rare occasions where they are allowed to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sky is still bright, though tinted a pale purple - dusk is on its merry way. After all, it is summer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m already tired,” Minki says, barely minutes after they’ve been handed their torches. Minhyun’s oncoming nagging is cut off before it even starts by Jieqieong and Nayoung passing them by, giggling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got to work on that stamina of yours, Minki. It’s a little pathetic,” the shorter girl says underhandedly. Minki bristles at that, chasing her away, brandishing the wooden torch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got to work on that attitude of yours or I’ll curse you and your family into bankruptcy!” Minki calls out. The girl merely turns away with a proud flick of her silky, raven-coloured hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck with that,” she says haughtily, this time to Minhyun, infamously known as the class babysitter for being the only one who can tame Minki’s wild moods. The taller boy doesn’t have time to reply before Nayoung’s clucking at her friend to drop it and they disappear into the crowd.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Stamina’? I’ll turn that hag into a goose!” Minki harrumphs and marches away, leaving Minhyun to recover from the whiplash conversation by himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They begin their trek just before dusk, as the sky melts from purple to red to aquamarine in the horizon. Despite Minki’s huffing and puffing, they make good time, though it’s all thanks to the fact that the route up is much easier than the one leading down to the town square.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun can already smell the smoke from the main torch somewhere above them, his own weighing heavily in his arms. He doesn’t like to admit it, but the journey up is, to him, much more enjoyable than the one down. He can’t exactly pinpoint what about it he likes; maybe it’s the sound of freshly fallen leaves crunching under the soles of their shoes, maybe it’s the sound of the cicadas chirping, calling the end of the day to come faster or maybe-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finally!” Minki exclaims as they reach a large clearing. Without hesitation, he goes straight to light his torch, eager to receive a blessing from the pastor while he’s at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minhyun?” He calls out to the brunette, who’d strayed off to the farthest edge of the space. Minhyun doesn’t seem to hear him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Minki says softly, gently cupping his shoulder. Minhyun merely hums, eyes never leaving the view spread out below them. And what a view it is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The horizon’s a blazing orange now, with hints of magenta tinting its edges. The clouds have drifted in such a way that they now look like the sun’s tendrils, drenched in a golden tint.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minki steals a glance at Minhyun then, still entranced by the sight. His lips quirk at their corners as his eyes trace the glowing outline of his best friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s saved in my heart!” The blonde announces suddenly. Minhyun turns to him finally, blinking out of his reverie, eyes a little wider in belated surprise. Minki grins, looking at him through the frame he makes with his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Minhyun says dumbly, his mind finally descending to earth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This moment, it’s saved in my heart!” Minki reiterates, eyes crinkling at the corners. Minhyun nods, a smile of his own forming on his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mine too.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Minhyun and Minki take their time, walking relaxedly with their freshly lit torches as the younger ones pass them by, chattering excitedly about the festivities that await them as they descend the hill. The sky is now a velvety, rich purple, signalling the coming of midnight. Despite this, they can still hear the music thrumming from the town below, even if they are quite a ways away from it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired,” Minki says nonchalantly, none of that whining lilt that usually accompanies such a complaint. Noticing this, Minhyun turns to find the blonde slightly levitating off the ground, leaves rustling, pooling beneath his feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Minhyun says immediately and rushes ahead, determined not to get caught up in whatever Minki’s planning. But he’s too slow compared to their best seeker. Minki stops him in his tracks, blocking his path with a dangerous, a mischievous glint in his eye and a smile like the devil’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be such a goody-two-shoes, Minhyun. We’re sixteen! Learn to live a little!” He cries out dramatically, eyes gleaming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You go right ahead. I’m fine taking a hike- Minki, stop!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it’s too late because Minki’s grip around his wrist is firm and the ground is already getting farther and farther away. Minhyun hangs on to his torch for dear life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you really going to make me do all the work, Hwang?” Minki yells over the noise of the wind whistling in their ears, obviously straining himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Put me down!” Minhyun yells, continuing to struggle. Minki looks down at him, a strange gleam in his eye and smiles tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, sure!” And he lets go as Minhyun screams. Humming to himself, he straightens, thankful for the weight shaved off and continues on his way, floating through the air serenely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate you,” comes Minhyun’s voice behind him as the brunette joins him begrudgingly. Minki turns to him with an innocent look. “I just did what you told me to,” he says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minhyun shoots him a withering glare to which Minki replies by striding ahead. Sputtering, Minhyun focuses on catching up with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a good idea, wasn’t it?” Minki says, now that they were too high up for people to notice. Minhyun grumbles but can’t find it in himself to still be angry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spread out below them is the department of Ariege, alight with life, the river flowing steadily, cutting straight through the town. To their left is the single-file line of torchbearers including their schoolmates, making their way down the hill, like a great fiery serpent travelling between mounds of moss. To their right, in the far distance is a single twinkling dot, too low to be a star, too bright to be a normal torch. The Beauxbatons campus watches them, its powder blue walls hidden between the mountains.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And right ahead of them is the waning gibbous moon, peeking out from behind the gray clouds, like a mother keeping an eye on her sleeping child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minki turns to Minhyun, a soft smile lighting up his face and does a lazy somersault through the air. Part of Minhyun wants to feel jealous at how easily he’s doing this, how naturally he can navigate the winds but he can’t be, no matter how hard he tries because it’s too beautiful a sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they continue their little sky stroll, Minhyun pulls out his film camera and takes a picture - one he will treasure to his dying breath- of Minki, hair bathed in the silver colour of the moon aflurry, gaze wandering to the orb of light with a small giddy smile on his face, one hand poised out as if at the ready to pluck it from the sky while the other holds on to the fiery torch, making it look light as a bouquet of red roses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They descend soon after and spend the night dancing away, surrounded by friends and laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At some point, Minki drifts away while Minhyun loses himself in the intense folk music. When he comes to, the blonde is gone. Thinking that he’ll see him back in the dorm, Minhyun joins some other friends for the rest of the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minki doesn’t come back to school the next morning. He doesn’t board his train the next afternoon either. In fact, he doesn’t show up at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least, until now, in Flamel’s fountain, more than a year since his apparent death.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>-i feel like beauxbatons would be a lot more progressive considering that the french aren't so much into boarding schools<br/>-shout out to iu's 이 지금 (dlwlrma) for being a major inspiration for this fic<br/>-lots of inspiration also from stories i've heard irl</p></blockquote></div></div>
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